Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel Sr. or Michael Pittman Jr.

Thursday, February 12, 7:35 AM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. continued to deliver decent contributions in the passing game last season, which was his first with the team. He finished the year with 72 catches, 727 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns, his highest marks in those categories since 2021. He also rushed for 75 yards and an additional touchdown on the ground. Although it was a good but not great year by Samuel's standards, he still finished as the overall WR25 in full-PPR leagues, cementing himself as a low-end WR2 or high-end WR3/flex on a weekly basis. Samuel restructured his contract with the Commanders to become a free agent this offseason, so he'll hit the open market in March. A return to Washington seems possible, but he'll presumably explore all of his options before putting pen to paper. Samuel fits best on a team with an established No. 1 wide receiver, so that he can operate as the No. 2 receiver with contributions as a gadget-type player behind the line of scrimmage or in the short-to-medium passing game. His 2026 fantasy outlook will depend on his landing spot and his eventual quarterback pairing, but for now, we'd expect him to remain a top-30 fantasy receiver.

Saturday, January 31, 12:01 PM

Indianapolis wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. carries an expected $29 million salary cap hit into 2026, but the Colts could clear all but $5 million by cutting him before the new league year. With Alec Pierce coming off his first 1,000-yard campaign and set for unrestricted free agency, the belief around Indianapolis is that the team will prioritize him over the 28-year-old Pittman. With the 12-plus games played by Daniel Jones before his season-ending Achilles injury arguably representing the pinnacle of quarterback play that Pittman has seen in his six-year career, the always steady, but never explosive, receiver could still have more to show. While he's never come close to delivering on his former top-ten dynasty ranking, his value could once again spike if he lands in the right situation.